Yes to Family Fun – Outside Part 2 of 2

Last week, Tofino’s Jen Pukonen shared her many creative (and free!) ways of enjoying the outside in Tofino. Here’s part two of her list. Gear up and get out there!

22. Make boats out of leaves and sticks and float them down a stream, which goes the fastest? Can it make it all the way to the ocean?
23. Take a family bike ride, rain or shine..
24. Put on a wetsuit and play in the waves (go for a surf, boogie, stand-up, even puddle boarding!) You won’t even notice the rain!
25. Search for a banana slug
26. Play jump rope with bull kelp on the beach!
27. Bring a thermos of warm tea or hot cocoa and take shelter under a big tree to enjoy it : )
28. Make a mud pie!
29. Walk down to the docks and check out the fishing boats
30. Hike up to a lookout and go stormwatching
31. Lend your kids your camera, what do they photograph in the forest, at the beach?
32. Spot clam and worm burrows on the mudflats
33. Stop quietly on a forest trail, cup your hands behind your ears and listen like a deer, how many different sounds do you hear?
34. Skip rocks on the inlet
35. Listen for tree frogs singing
36. Go birdwatching
37. Gently lift rocks and search for crabs (don’t forget to put them back where you found them)
38. Take a sunset walk and watch bats swoop for insects at dusk, dip your toes in the water and look for bioluminescence.
39. Take a deep breath… and enjoy

For more fun ideas and great nature programs for children and families check out the Raincoast Education Society, Tofino Nature Kids, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Tofino Parks and Recreation and the many great tour operators and guides in the area.

Jen Pukonen is a local naturalist and mother of two. She can often be found exploring and playing on local trails and beaches with her family.